Cats are some of the best companion animals around. They can bring a lot of happiness into the lives of their owners, and many people enjoy having a cat around the home. They can live for up to 20 years too, so they can be with you a very long time. However, while cats can live long and happy lives, they can also struggle with health problems from time to time.
It’s never pleasant when your furry friend suffers some kind of health issue, and it can be especially scary for owners when they see their cat having seizures. This is when a cat may lose control of a part of all of its body. It can lead to muscle spasms, involuntary urination, aggressive behavior, tail chasing, and more.
Seizures in cats are quite common but can come in different types, taking on different forms and causing various symptoms and side effects. During a seizure, a cat may start to drool uncontrollably, thrash around, or fall over, unable to control its limbs like normal. This can be very worrying for owners.
Indeed, when you first see and experience cats seizures for yourself, it can be hard to know what to do or how to respond. However, it’s important to know that treatment options are available and the veterinary can help your feline friend feel better. This guide will cover all the basics of cat seizures, from causes and signs to treatment methods too.
Causes and Symptoms of Seizures in Cats
Can cats have seizures? Yes, as The Spruce Pets explains, “Seizures in cats are caused when an area of the brain, specifically the cerebral cortex, functions abnormally. The body’s response to this abnormal brain function is to lose voluntary function and is most often recognized when a cat’s body shakes violently. “
While seizures can come in different forms and have different root causes, they’re all basically caused by this abnormal electrical brain activity. It’s quite a mysterious phenomenon in a lot of ways, and scientists are still researching exactly how it happens. However, if we delve a little deeper into what causes seizures in cats, we can find some more specific answers.
Some causes of seizures in cats are quite serious. They may be caused by major health issues like brain tumors, brain trauma, and even brain parasites too. They can also be a sign of other long-term health problems like liver disease, high blood pressure, or poisoning. Cat seizures in older cats may be connected with these kinds of problems.
However, there are also some situations in which a cat has a seizure due to something far less serious. Cats may have seizures if they get too hot and suffer heatstroke, for example, or they might have a seizure simply by being exposed to a certain chemical or product. This can still be dangerous, and all problems should be reported to a vet. However, it’s important for owners not to panic when a seizure occurs, as it isn’t always a sign of something extremely serious.
Knowing what to look for when cats have seizures is important. Here are some of the common signs:
- Stiffness in the muscles
- Loss of stability
- Loss of consciousness
- Falling over
- Urinating and defecating
- Convulsions
- Dizziness
- Confusion
Traditional Treatment Options for Seizures in Cats
Once you know the signs of seizures in cats, you’ll be better prepared to react and respond to them when they occur. It’s important to note that seizures are often associated with long-term conditions and can’t necessarily be cured. However, they can be managed in various ways. The first step is to know what to do when your cat has a seizure.
Ideally, you shouldn’t try to touch them or interfere with them in any way; simply allow the seizure to run its course and try to make the surrounding area as safe as possible. For example, if the cat has a seizure in the living room, try to place cushions around them to stop them bumping into hard pieces of furniture like chairs and bookcases.
Cats can bite or scratch out of fear or confusion during and after seizures, so be careful with touching them. You can talk to them softly to try and calm them down, as well as opening windows or turning on fans to cool them off. You should also contact a vet, especially if the seizure lasts a long time or the cat goes into repeated seizures one after another.
It’s also wise to note down any information about seizures and time them. This information can be very valuable for your vet in terms of diagnosing the issue and working out the best course of treatment. A vet may be able to identify the root cause of the seizures, carrying out tests and scans to learn more, as well as prescribing anti-seizure medication.
CBD Oil for Seizures in Cats
Another treatment option you may consider for your cat is CBD oil for cats seizures. Cat seizures CBD oil is a product made from hemp plants, in which the cannabidiol (CBD) is extracted from the plant matter and diluted into an oil form.
You can use a CBD calculator to work out the best dose for your cat and then drop it right into their food for easy consumption.
Once the CBD oil for cat seizures enters the cat’s system, it can interact with something called the endocannabinoid system or ECS, which is connected with a range of bodily processes. It is also linked with seizures and the conditions that can cause them.
So, when CBD enters a cat’s system and interacts with the ECS, various positive effects can occur. It’s important to note that CBD won’t cure a cat’s seizures, but it can massively improve the situation for the cat and its owners.
Scientific studies have shown that CBD for cat seizures can help to reduce the risk of seizures in general, as well as making them less severe when they do occur.
Many cat owners have seen impressive results from using CBD oil for cats with seizures. There is also an increasing amount of scientific evidence and research-backed proof to reinforce these claims too.
One study entitled ‘Cannabinoids in the Treatment of Epilepsy: Hard Evidence at Last?’ states “These are exciting times for research in cannabinoids. After almost four millennia of their documented medical use in the treatment of seizure disorders, we are very close to obtaining conclusive evidence of their efficacy in some severe epilepsy syndromes.”
Cannabinoid Calculator for the Perfect CBD Oil Dosage
When you give your pet any kind of treatment, medication, supplement, or natural remedy, it’s always important to get the right dose in order to obtain the effects you want to see.
The same logic applies when using CBD oil for cats with seizures too. It’s vital to give your cat an accurate dose. Giving it too much might lead to side effects, and giving it too little won’t lead to any positive effects at all.
The right dose will help your feline friend feel a lot better, and Cannabinoid Calculator can help you work it out. Simply input your cat’s weight and other basic information into our calculator tool and it will automatically generate an accurate recommendation just for you.
Conclusion
Cat seizures can seem like quite a scary problem to deal with. However, it’s important to note that the causes aren’t always too serious, and as long as you react appropriately and seek proper treatment, your cat can continue living a long and relatively normal life.
FAQ
Cat seizures are when a cat loses control of part or all of its body. This can lead to spasms, thrashing, and loss of consciousness, among other symptoms.
The root cause of seizures in cats can be hard to define. They can be caused by exposure to poisons or chemicals, as well as being associated with different health issues like cancer and high blood pressure.
CBD oil for cats for seizures is able to reduce both the frequency and severity of seizures in cats. It can also help with anxiety, pain, and inflammation in long-term feline health issues.
Use a CBD dosage calculator to work out the ideal dose for your cat based on its weight. Then simply drop the oil into their food.